Posted on 05/28/2015 10:22:46 AM PDT by mojito
For the first time in years, the Rolling Stones are performing “Moonlight Mile” at arenas during their 15-city North American “Zip Code” concert tour. Written by Mick Jagger in 1970, the eclectic road song closed “Sticky Fingers,” the band’s 1971 album, which is being reissued on June 9 by Universal as a two-CD set with bonus material.
Fans have long speculated about the song’s meaning, with many assuming that lyrics such as “a head full of snow” and “moonlight mile” were code for cocaine. Mr. Jagger dismissed such suggestions last week, saying the song was written about his loneliness during a rigorous European tour in the summer of 1970 and his elation upon returning home.
The original basic studio recording of “Moonlight Mile” featured only Mr. Jagger, guitarist Mick Taylor and drummer Charlie Watts, with additional guitars, piano, bass and strings overdubbed later. Mr. Jagger, 71, talked about how the song was written and recorded.
Edited from an interview:
Mick Jagger: I wrote some of the early lyrics to “Moonlight Mile” in a songbook I carried around when we were on tour in the summer of 1970. I was growing road-weary and homesick then. I’m sure the idea for the song first came to me one night while we were on a train and the moon was out. I don’t recall. I know I didn’t want to literalize how I was feeling. That’s not really a very good thing to do when you’re writing lyrics, you know? The feeling I had at that moment was how difficult it was to be touring and how I wasn’t looking forward to going out and doing it again. It’s a very lonely thing, and my lyrics reflected that.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
I have, however, always assumed that "head full of snow" was a drug reference, since the rest of the album is saturated with them.
The song was covered a few years ago for a Mojo Magazine “Sticky Fingers” tribute CD (included free with the magazine).
Lee Fields has since released that version on one of his albums in 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFzXevlR6Yk
This is what Murdoch’s WSJ wastes space and money on?
Pathetic.
Sorry, but I can't think of anything I'd less rather watch than a 71 year old man shaking his ass on stage and making kissy lips to the girls in the front row. I watched some video of their last tour and that's what he was doing and it was pretty repulsive. But, if people will still pay you big bucks to do it then I can certainly understand why they do. I just won't be watching it.
never mind a “man” who berated conservatives in a song during the iraq war...
You just might be on to something there, my friend. ;-) That said, "Sticky Fingers" is my all-time favorite Stones album. My fav is "Can't You Hear Me Knockin" or maybe "Sway", or maybe "I've Got the Blues", hell, they're all so damned good!
No Bobby Keys on sax this time around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1CXyJntsZg
Roy Lee Johnson on Vocal.
MISTER MOONLIGHT - Dr.Feelgood & the Interns [Okeh #4-7144] 1961
(R.Stevens - R.C.Stephens)
Also recorded by Thebeat Les
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YfWQG5gI4A
Sticky Fingers is probably my favorite Stones album also. Just a great rock and roll record from beginning to end.
No Mick Taylor either (to my knowledge). I’d go up to Orlando in June if he was playing. Won’t go without him.
How many songs has this band written and recorded about confiscatory tax rates?
Exile on Main Street was named as such but lyrically there is no outrage about their government.
These days they remain out of England long enough to avoid what they believe to be excessive taxation.
Mick did go out on the road for a few shows a couple of years ago.
Actually, he still can't. But as I specifically said in my post if someone is willing to pay you big bucks to try and do then I can certainly see why they would. And I'd say there's a lot of room between sitting on a bench and acting like a Chippendales dancer at over 70 years of age.
I’m partial to Beggar’s Banquet too.
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